GSM cellular terminal

ABSTRACT

A GSM cellular terminal comprising antenna means, control means, signal processing means, where SIM cards can be associated with the signal processing means for connection to corresponding service networks, said GSM cellular terminal being apt to host several SIM cards simultaneously and switch between them. According to the present invention, corresponding respective signal processing means (BLK 3 , BLK 3 ′) can be associated with each SIM card.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a GSM cellular terminal comprisingantenna means, control means, signal processing means, where SIM cardscan be combined with the signal processing means for connection tocorresponding service networks, said GSM cellular terminal being apt tohost several SIM cards simultaneously and switch between them.

As it is known, GSM cellular terminals available on the market areusually capable of operation using only one SIM (Subscriber IdentityMemory) card each time, so that each time they can be connected to oneservice network alone.

Thus, also in view of the ever increasing availability of new anddifferent service opportunities, the subscriber is unable to activatethe terminal, e.g. for both a call and response simultaneously on twodifferent service types. Neither is it possible to use for instance anoff-peak rate service simultaneously on the same terminal during workinghours (“business” service) nor a lower rates service during eveninghours (“family” service).

Other GSM cellular terminals are known, which make use of adapters aptto receive two SIM cards simultaneously. Said terminals allows forsimultaneous use of both cards, but the use of one card will exclude theother.

It is the object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacksand provide a GSM cellular terminal having a more efficient and improvedperformance compared to the solutions already known.

In this frame, it is the main object of the present invention to providea GSM cellular terminal, which is apt to allow a simultaneous use intransceiving mode of at least two service types associated withrespective SIM cards.

In order to achieve such aims, it is the object of the present inventionto provide a GSM cellular terminal incorporating the features of theannexed claims, which form an integral part of the description herein.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description and annexeddrawings, which are supplied by way of non limiting example, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a GSM cellular terminal according to theknown state of the art;

FIG. 2 shows a basic diagram of a GSM cellular terminal according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a GSM cellular terminal according to thepresent invention, where in said block diagram an antenna block BLK1contains an antenna A1 and a duplex input filter A. This antenna blockBLK1 is connected to a control block BLK2, which comprises amicrocontroller unit J, a keyboard unit K, a display unit L, a ROMprogram memory unit M, a RAM memory unit N and a nonvolatile EEPROMmemory O.

A signal processing block BLK3 is also provided, comprising a poweramplifier B, a power controller C, a transceiver D, a frequencysynthesizer E, a base-band block F, a digital signal processing unit G,a SIM card represented by a corresponding SIM card housing I and finallya hardware interface H of the SIM card.

Finally, an actuation block BLK4 will contain the final actuators, i.e.a loudspeaker and a microphone.

A control bus of the transceiver P interconnects the signal processingblock BLK3 to the control block BLK2, whereas a system control bus Qinside the control block BLK2 will carry the signals related to theelements located therein.

For a better understanding of the present invention, the block diagramshown in FIG. 1 is substantially representative of all GSM cellularterminals already known. Therefore, for the purposes of the presentinvention it is not relevant whether connection between the variouselements is either as illustrated in FIG. 1 or a different one, or stillwhether some elements are integrated between them. For instance, it isnot relevant whether the keyboard unit K or the display unit L aredirectly connected to the hardware interface H of the SIM card, orwhether such a connection goes through the digital signal processingunit G as illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a GSM cellular terminal according to thepresent invention, where the antenna block BLK1 is similar to theantenna block shown in FIG. 1, the same as it is for the actuation blockBLK4. A signal processing block BLK3 containing the same elements ofFIG. 1 is provided; moreover, a second processing block BLK3′ contains asecond power amplifier B1, a second power controller C1, a secondtransceiver D1, a second frequency synthesizer E1, a second base bandunit F1, a second digital signal processing unit G1, a second hardwareinterface H1 of the SIM card and a second SIM card housing I1.

On the contrary, the control block BLK2 has a program memory unit Mcontaining an additional software program M′ assigned for the multiplemanagement of the SIM cards that are eventually inserted in the housingsI and I1. Moreover, the control block BLK2 contains an additionalkeyboard segment K′ to send or select the call transmission towards orfrom the SIM card associated with the signal processing block BLK3 ortowards or from the SIM card associated with the second signalprocessing block BLK3′. The keyboard segment K′ is thus a multifunctionsend and/or selection key.

A detector block BLK5 containing an optical detector R indicates theaddition of a device, which is apt to signal the various operatingprocedures of the GSM cellular terminal to the subscriber with referenceto the various SIM cards in use. It is obvious that the function of saiddetector block BLK5 can be obtained through the optical or even acousticdevices the GSM cellular terminal usually has on issue.

Moreover, the GSM cellular terminal according to the present inventionshown in FIG. 2 has a second control bus for the transceiver P1, whichconnects the signal processing block BLK3′ to the control block BLK2.Said second control bus of the transceiver P1 can be physically obtainedextending the control bus of the transceiver P.

Operation of the GSM cellular terminal according to the presentinvention is as follows: the additional software program M′ is a programfor managing the cards system and it also controls the signals sent tothe second control bus of the transceiver P1. The additional softwareprogram M′ allows management of two transceiver channels, one related tothe signal processing block BLK3 and the other to the second signalprocessing block BLK3′. The additional software program M′ will thensupervise for each of these two transceiver channels the knowninitialization, research, recording operations and any other functionalready known required for correct terminal operation.

Moreover, said additional software program M′ also supervises thespecific functions of the GSM cellular terminal according to the presentinvention, i.e.:

a selection function of the activated channel;

a primary function either to deactivate or put on hold one of the twoactivated channels, while the other channel is in communication;

a highlighting function of the activated and selected channel;

a managing function of the optical and/or acoustic signals related tothe activated channels;

a managing function of the access priorities to the index lists relatedto both SIM cards.

From the above description the features of the present invention areclear, and also clear are its advantages.

Advantageously, the GSM cellular terminal according to the presentinvention allows independent management of two or more SIM cards on oneGSM cellular terminal alone. Such a management, in virtue of theavailability of several transceiver circuits, can be a simultaneous one,i.e. calls can be received or made using both or more SIM cardssimultaneously.

Advantageously, the various SIM cards usable with the GSM cellularterminal according to the present invention can be associated withdifferent tariff types freely referred to a sole service provider orvarious service providers, anyway in compliance with the subscriber'sagreement activations towards the service providers chosen by thesubscriber. This will ensure several flexibility and saving levels inusing the services supplied by the various providers or by a singleprovider as described above as well as allow for possible additionalperformances presently not available in automatic mode. For instance,the use of several SIM cards will lead to a larger territory coverageusing SIM cards from two different providers. Similarly, coverage willalso be possible in other countries using different GSM transmissionstandards, such as the United States.

The availability of the second transceiver device will in factadvantageously allow to preset it for its operation with a differentstandard.

It is obvious that many changes are possible for the man skilled in theart to the GSM cellular terminal described above by way of example,without departing from the novelty spirit of the innovative idea, and itis also clear that in practical actuation of the invention thecomponents may often differ in form and size from the ones described andbe replaced with technical equivalent elements.

The describing block diagrams of the GSM cellular terminal may changethrough the future technologic developments in microelectronics, whichwill lead through a natural integration process to the manufacture ofterminals with equivalent circuitry consisting of a sole electroniccomponent with equivalent multiple functions.

Similarly, future service provision and usage levels will also lead to aplurality of customized SIM cards, integrated on the same physicalsupport, but the resulting diagram of the cellular terminal cannot beconsidered different for this reason from the one described above by wayof example. Switching between integrated SIM cards on the same physicalsupport will be performed through a special manual switch or software.

The additional keyboard segment to select call transmission towards theSIM card can consist of a sole multifunction key.

What is claimed is:
 1. A GSM cellular terminal comprising antenna means,control means, signal processing means, and a plurality of SIM cardreaders, where corresponding SIM cards can be inserted for connection tocorresponding service networks, wherein said GSM cellular terminalcomprises at least two separate signal processing means, said at leasttwo separate signal processing means comprising corresponding SIM cardreaders, and being adapted to simultaneously maintain connections oftheir respective SIM cards to said corresponding service network,supervised by said control means.
 2. A GSM cellular terminal accordingto claim 1, wherein said signal processing means comprise signalreception and transmission means.
 3. A GSM cellular terminal accordingto claim 2, wherein said control means comprise program memory meansassociated with a management program of the plurality of SIM cardreaders and of the corresponding signal reception and transmissionmeans.
 4. A GSM cellular terminal according to claim 3, wherein said SIMcards can be integrated in one sole physical support.
 5. A GSM cellularterminal according to claim 3, wherein said control means comprise akeyboard unit, which has an additional keyboard segment for thetransmission of signals being able to switch among the plurality of SIMcards.
 6. A GSM cellular terminal according to claim 5, wherein saidadditional keyboard segment is a specific multifunction send and/orselection key.
 7. A GSM cellular terminal according to claim 3, furthercomprising optical and/or acoustic signaling means to indicate which SIMcard can be used for transmission-reception by the subscriber.
 8. A GSMcellular terminal according to claim 7, wherein said optical and/oracoustic signaling means are integrated in standard signaling meansincluded in the GSM cellular terminal.
 9. A GSM cellular terminalaccording to claim 3, wherein said program memory comprises one or moreof the following functions: a selection function of the activatedchannel; a primary function either to deactivated or put on hold one ofthe two activated channels, while the other channel is in communication;a highlighting function of the activated selected channel; a managingfunction of the optical and/or acoustic signals related to the activatedchannels; a managing function of the access priorities to the indexlists related to both SIM cards.
 10. A GSM cellular terminal accordingto claim 3, wherein the signal processing means are separate and able toreceive different signal types.